About Vaccinium crassifolium Andrews
Vaccinium crassifolium Andrews is an evergreen shrub with shiny, dark green to bronze leaves. Its cytological count is 2n = 24. This species is native to the coastal plain of Georgia, the Carolinas, and southeastern Virginia. It grows most commonly in pine barrens, and can also be found in disturbed, open areas such as roadsides. Its leaves resemble those of bearberry (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi), and may be used in herbalism as a substitute for bearberry leaves. Vaccinium crassifolium has been cultivated since at least around 1787, and multiple cultivars are available for use as a groundcover in landscape gardening.
